Petition calls for formal rail review

More than 4,600 people have signed a petition calling for a formal review into the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Feb 2016, 08:00 BST

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Southern train SUS-150906-105214001Southern train SUS-150906-105214001
Southern train SUS-150906-105214001

The petition states: “The GTR franchise is the worst performing operator in the last 12 months and is providing an unacceptable service to passengers on the Southern Rail Network. We are calling for a formal review of this operator.

“The public performance measure (PPM) for Network Rail, for Govia for the last 12 months is 82.1 per cent against the national average of 89.5 per cent. For the latest period for 2015/16, Govia is only 74.1 per cent against the national average of 84.3 per cent.

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“This company’s punctuality and level of customer service is severely lacking and is damaging the lives and economy of those served by this operator. Using London Bridge development is not an excuse, as Victoria services are also unacceptable.”

Once the petition reaches 10,000 signatures, government will have to respond.

The petition, which can be found at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/113871, is particularly relevant this week as commuters faced delays of up to an hour after all lines between Haywards Heath and Lewes became blocked on February 12.

Southern Rail said icy third rails had led to ‘poor rail conditions’ with passengers warned services could be heavily delayed, altered or even cancelled. Trains were also unable to stop at Cooksbridge and Plumpton.

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Maria Caulfield MP said: “Despite assurances at our recent meetings, performance has been appalling and I have lost faith in the management of Southern Rail.”

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Related topics:PetitionGovia Thameslink RailwayNetwork RailSouthern Rail